The Restoration of St. Theodore's Church, 1996 to 2001
The exterior of Saint Theodore's Church during restoration
St. Theodore's church was built for the expanding industrial town of Port Talbot. Its location in Taibach placed it cheek by jowl to various tin, iron and steel making processes. As a consequence of industrial pollution from 1897 to the 1990s the exterior and interior fabric of St. Theodore's Church suffered.
It was determined in 1994 to undertake a restoration scheme to mark the centenary of the consecration of the Church in 1997. By the time that Fr. Colin Amos SSC arrived as the new incumbent in July 1996 £12,000 had been raised but it was realised that greater activity would be required if the envisaged £250,000 restoration would take place - just as well that it was not appreciated at that point that the real costs would infact be double.
Why do it?
A question asked by some who thought the money could be better spent. However, Miss Emily Charlotte Talbot built the Church not as a museum in memory of her brother and sister but as a place of worship. Influenced as the family was by the Oxford Movement the Church was built To the Greater Glory of God for which one of the leading architects of the day, John Loughborough Pearson R.A. was appointed. The parish not only had the heritage of a magnificent cathedral-like church but understood that it was built for continued worship and prayer within the Anglican-Catholic tradition. To restore the church to its original beauty was to restore the honour to God and act as a mission in itself seeking to draw others to pray and worship in beauty and holiness.
The Restoration Project
The St. Theodore's Restoration Fund was re-launched in August 1996 with Fr. Amos' proposal to the Parochial Church Council (PCC) being adopted - that the Parish would have to start providing sufficient giving to pay for all its everyday running costs so that every penny raised in any form of fundraising would from that point be dedicated to the Restoration Fund.
The challenge was met so that by July 1997 there was £27,000. in the Restoration Fund. The next aim was to double it!
The PCC nervously adopted Fr. Amos' proposal that a Gift Period be held between the Centenary of the Consecration of St. Theodore's Church on 5th August 1997 to St. Theodore's Day on 19th September 1997 and that during that period the 270 people on the Electoral Roll of the Parish each be asked to give £100 - which would double the Restoration Fund in six weeks. At the Centenary Patronal Festival it was announced that some £25,933 had been given during the Gift Period.
With these credentials the Parish launched a door to door appeal throughout the parish which raised a further £2,563.89.
The 1997 Flower Festival (and other fundraising activities)
Red vestment and flowers during the 1997 Flower Festival
The font dressed with flowers during the 1997 Flower Festival
September 1997 also brought the St. Theodore's Flower Festival and Parish Exhibition. While undertaken as part of the Centenary celebrations it nevertheless resulted in a profit for the Restoration Fund further aided with the publication and sale of Flower Festival Notelets. The Flower Festival was arranged by one of ten committees that had been established to engineer various projects all aimed at realising the restoration.
The other committees included:
- Publications - a Centenary Brochure was published and A History & Guide to St. Theodore's Church
- Parish Shop
- Car Boot Sales
- Publicity
- Concerts - a variety of concerts were hosted at St. Theodore's Church
- Social Events - a number of thematic Social evenings were held in the Parish Hall.
- Marketing, Souvenirs, Christmas Bazaar & Summer Fayre - a variety of Centenary Souvenirs were commissioned and sold while the Bazaar and Fayre gained new impetus.
- Parish Survey - to increase our understanding of what we had an inventory was made of all three churches.
- Finance Committee - to look for charitable funding in addition to our own fundraising.
Fr. Amos took responsibility for the Worship and Architects' Committee so as to co-ordinate the Centenary services, keep everything based in prayer, and to oversee the architect's plans and progress.
As a result of the various Committees work and the generous response the parish itself gave or fundraised a total of £156,521.35 between July 1996 and June 2001.
A Heritage Lottery Grant was made for £227,000.
Cadw (Welsh Historic Monuments) made a grant of £155,000.
Other Grants received totalled £31,425.
With a fundraising effort total of £569,946.35 the restoration of St. Theodore's Church could be realised.
The Restoration Scheme Commences, July 1999
Work to Saint Theodore's Church bellcote during the restoration project
The new finial crosses arrive ready to replace the old weathered ones
The completed west end gable
The restored railings and boundary wall at Saint Theodore's
One of the newly installed light fittings as part of the new lighting scheme incorporating original Pearson fittings
From July 1999 to November 2000 the restoration scheme involved the following:
Scaffolding
Due to its cathedral like proportions every square inch of the exterior and interior of the church had to be made accessable by scaffolding for the restoration work to proceed.
Exterior cleaning of stonework
This was the first job undertaken and one that caused the greatest excitement.
Nobody could remember what the original stonework looked like due to the effects of the industrial pollution.
As the stonework was cleaned it revealed a pennant stone that far from being uniform in colour rejoiced in greys, blues and greens.
The contrast was dramatic and the original glory of Pearson's church was unveiled for the first time in living memory.
Exterior stonework repairs and re-pointing
Some of the stones, particularly the bathstone, had weathered so badly that they needed to be cut out and replaced.
Likewise with sections of the pointing.
Repair to bellcote and rehanging of bell
The Sanctus Bell which had been taken down from the bellcote for fear of it falling was replaced following repairs to the bellcote enabling it to once again be rung.
Roof repairs and lead valley work
While less exciting than other aspects of the scheme minor repairs were conducted to secure the long term protection of the church.
Rainwater disposal system overhaul and repair
As above, to ensure that the church remained water tight the 100 year old cast iron drainage pipes and gutters were all removed, cleaned, repaired or where necessary re-made before being replaced.
New lightning conductor installed
External and internal window ferramenta repairs
Due to the industrial pollution the iron bars that were placed across the windows and into the stonework had corroded, expanded and 'blown' the stonework.
These were all removed and a new system devised to safely place new ones in.
New finial crosses for north transcept & south porch
The carved crosses were even more vulnerable to the elements and were found to be so badly weathered that they had to be taken down, cut up so that new templates could be made from them and new finial crosses carved.
Completion of West End Gable
The original intention of the architect John Loughborough Pearson R.A. was to build a tower, consequently the roof of west end of the church was deemed a temporary finish in 1897.
Infact it stayed that way ever since.
As the one brand new piece of work rather than restoration the Parochial Church Council decided to fund the completion of the west end with a gable and large finial cross to match Pearson's architecture at the east end and north & south transcepts.
Relocation of gas meter
For safety and asthetic reasons the gas meter was relocated from the front lawn of the church
Replacement of all non-stained glass windows
The original clear (known as 'cathedral glass') windows, like the stonework, had become so corroded by the industrial pollution that they effectively blocked the light coming into the church.
Tests were undertaken as to whether they could be cleaned but this was deemed impossible.
Approval was therefore given for the original glass to be removed and replaced with new cathedral glass.
As each window was replaced light began to re-enter the church for the first time in decades again revealing the drama and beauty of Pearson's work.
Boundary wall and railings
In unpatriotic fashion the parish argued at the beginning of the Second World War that the iron railings mounted on the boundary walls enclosing St. Theodore's Church should not be taken for war use otherwise children using the Mission Room for school might be at risk of falling onto the road.
Unusually therefore, not only the original boundary wall but also the railings are original features - albeit in a bad state of repair.
Over 100 new bars were made to replace those that had corroded too far to be restored.
All other parts of the railings were cleaned, treated and repainted.
The wall was re-pointed.
Internal clean of stonework
The idea of cleaning the whole of the stone interior of the church did not come until the project had actually started.
Originally avoided due to cost the impact that the exterior stonework cleaning combined with the new levels of light pouring into the church left many feeling that an internal clean had become a necessity.
This project would cost an extra £30,000 in addition to the works that we were still committed to and still raising money for.
However, the PCC decided to empty the parish church's savings account so as to achieve the extra fundraising and realise the internal clean of stonework.
Once again the Parish rose to the occasion with new ventures and further donations.
In many people's estimate the internal clean of the church remains the most significant part of the restoration project again revealing the detail and beauty of Pearson's designs particularly with his vaulting.
Electrical rewiring and new lighting scheme incorporating original Pearson fittings
St. Theodore's Church was supplied with electricity from the start.
Pearson had a generator house built behind the Lady Chapel and then proceeded to design the light fittings for the church.
These were removed in 1938 when the church went onto the local council electricity supply which was too powerful for the original lights.
Not surprisingly by 1997 every piece of electric cable and equipment was due for renewal.
This being the case upon the rediscovery of the Pearson light fittings they were restored and re-hung as an integral part of the generally upgraded lighting scheme.
New security alarm system Providing the Church with the highest level of modern protection
New sound system with loop system introduced
The cleaning of the Clayton & Bell stained glass windows
Following professional advice these windows were judged of sufficient calibre not only in virtue of being Clayton & Bell but furthermore many of the windows emanating from the hand of the cartoonist George Daniels (1854-1940).
It was determined that these windows should be cleaned of the industrial deposits that dulled their vibrancy.
This work continued until all the Clayton & Bell windows were restored by the end of 2002.
From January to May 2001 complete restoration of the organ
For further details go to our page featuring the St. Theodore's Organ by Charles Martin of Oxford.
AMDG - To The Greater Glory of God
AMDG - To The Greater Glory of God. It is a phrase often placed on a gift donated to a church. The St. Theodore's Restoration Scheme focused many peoples' minds not only in the parish but throughout the town as to why we should consider this as important and the fulfilment of the scheme is in itself the Parish declaring in and through its Parish Church - AMDG
Specific thanksgiving was offered at two special services.
A Thanksgiving Service for the Restoration of St. Theodore's Parish Church, Port Talbot and Solemn Evensong of Christ the King officited by the Vicar The Reverend Father Colin J. Amos SSC with sermon by the Right Reverend David Thomas, Provincial Assistant Bishop took place on 25th November 2000.
A Thanksgiving for the Centenary of the Parish of St. Theodore, Port Talbot with Blessing of the Restored Organ and Solemn Evensong of the Holy and Blessed Trinity officiated by the Vicar the Reverend Father Colin J. Amos SSC with sermon by the Right Reverend Dr. Barry Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff took place on 16th June 2001.
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